I am afraid I am not finding much time to be on Ciao these days but with a new puppy in the house I ...
I am afraid I am not finding much time to be on Ciao these days but with a new puppy in the house I have some doggy related products to review from time to time.
Member since:11.10.2006
Reviews:281
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I do not have a violent nature but there are times when I am motivated to do harm and one of those times is if I find a flea on my pets. One of the downsides of keeping pets is the concern that from time to time they might harbour a few pets of their own in the form of fleas. I am fortunate that I have very light coloured cats so I can easily tell if one hops on board and to be honest it is rare that we have a problem. My present three cats have never had fleas at all but I am ever watchful. Fleas can be harmful to pets, kittens even die from heavy flea infestations, so it is important to tackle the problem should it ever arise.
The Problem
Last week I took two of my cats to the vets for their annual booster shots and later that night I was stroking one of them on my knee when I spotted a black speck on his coat. I went to pick it off and it moved! Oh dear, could it be one of them had acquired a flea? Now please understand I am not saying that there is a problem at my vets but it is the one time of year when my cats are in close contact with other animals so it always possible someone hitched a ride in the waiting room.
The Solution
Whilst I was sitting there worrying I suddenly remembered a gadget I had bought years ago 'just in case'. (Well I do love my gadgets!) It was an electronic flea comb which, it was claimed, would electrocute fleas on contact. I had never had cause to use it before but it seemed to be worth a try especially as I wouldn't be able to get hold of any flea treatments at that time of night.
The Electronic flea comb takes two AA batteries which fit into the handle. The teeth of the comb retract into the handle so you just insert the batteries, release the teeth and then gently comb through the coat whilst pressing a little red button on top of the comb.
It took minutes to get it ready and then I set to work on the cat with the moving black speck. I first targetted the general area where I had seen the problem. Within seconds the comb emitted a beep and sure enough, whatever the insect was, it was zapped, dead and resting on the teeth of the comb. I combed the cat all over and only found the one 'problem'. Next I combed through the other two cats and only got one more 'beep' which turned out to be a tiny winged insect and not a flea at all.
Overall I have to say I was impressed. It certainly did what it said it would and very effectively too. The teeth of the comb have plastic tips at the end so that the cat (or dog) doesn't get a shock as you use it and none of the cats seemed to mind me using it at all although they did jump a little when it beeped. My cats are semi-longhaired cats and the comb went through thir coats easily enough although I would imagine it might be more difficult if the coats were really thick.
Would I recommend it?
Yes I would, for the occasional problem, as it is effective. However it obviously does not help in getting rid of flea eggs and larvae so if you have a serious infestation you would need other products as well to treat carpets and bedding. Personally I do like the 'spot on' products for prevention and cure if your pets are vulnerable but for odd incidents I think this is great.
I also think it would be handy to use regularly to check to see if your pets have fleas - no beeps would mean they haven't got a problem. Now that I have finally used it I plan to use it occasionally on the cats just for my own peace of mind, especially in the Summer months when they spend a lot of time outdoors. I can't remember when I bought mine but they are available now for around £20 or less and that is a small price to pay for something which is effective and can be used over and over again.
Pictures of Electronic Flea Comb
Oscar, a chocolate tabby point Birman
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With two cats ourselves, an interesting review. Why am I scratching? Love the colours on yours (the cats not the fleas I hasten to add).
marymoose99 18.06.2008 21:53
Beautiful photos again :o) I had to chuckle at the thought of fleas being the cat's pets!
Writing321 18.06.2008 09:26
Your cats are STUNNING... oh yes, the review is good too..... my cat hides as soon as I reach to the top cupboard for the flea liquid.... she hides under the sofa...... this sounds like a good product to check if they have fleas ...
very helpful by (100%):
